The effect of combined use of prostaglandin and oxytocin in sows, on the duration of partus, number of pigs and period between two expulsions of piglets

The objective of this work is to investigate the influence of combined application of prostaglandin and oxytocin on the duration of farrowing in sows, number of newborn piglets and interval between two expulsions of piglets. The experiment was carried out on 133 pregnant sows of Danish Landrace-Yorkshire Large white breed, which were divided into three groups depending on the day of the induction of partus (112th, 113th and 114th day of pregnancy). Within each group, the sows were divided into three subgroups, and they were given synthetic prostaglandin PGF2-alfa (dinoprost-DINOLYTIC) analogue in dosage of 10 mg (eq. 2ml of preparation)/animal (I subgroup) single or combined with one (after having fifth piglet) (II subgroup), or two (after having fifth and tenth piglet) (III subgroup) application of oxytocin (OXYTOKEL) in dosage of 20 i.j. + 15 i.j. (eq. 2 ml + 1,5 ml preparation/animal), (two applications). Obtained results show that in the sows treated only with prostaglandin, the longest farrowing (6,41?2,20 h) was in those which obtained the drug on the 112th day of pregnancy, and the shortest (4,56?1,30 h) in the ones treated on the 114th day of pregnancy. In the the sows in which (beside prostaglandin) oxytocin was administered once, the longest farrowing (6,38?1,30) was in those treated on the 113th day of pregnancy, and the shortest (6,38?1,30) in those treated on the 114th day of pregnancy. In the sows treated (beside prostaglandin) with oxytocin twice, the longest farrowing (7,17?2,30) was in the group treated on the 112th day of pregnancy, and the shortest (5,10?1,20) in the ones treated on the 113th day of pregnancy. Generally speaking, the longest duration of farrowing (7,17?2,30) was in the animals which (beside prostaglandin) obtained oxytocin twice, and the shortest duration (4,56?1,30) was in the ones which (beside prostaglandin) were treated only with prostaglandin. The greatest number of newborn piglets (358) was in sows which obtained prostaglandin on the 114th day of pregnancy combined with one application of oxytocin, and the smallest number (250) in sows which obtained perostaglandin on the 112th day of pregnancy combined with two application of oxytocin. The longest interval (0,22 ? 0,06) between two expulsions of piglets was in sows in which partus was induced on the 112th day of pregnancy in combination with two applications of oxytocin, and the shortest interval (0,11?0,03) in which partus was induced on the 114th day of pregnanc